Cleveland Guardians ripped AL Central away from Minnesota Twins

Let’s go back in time to September 4. The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins were tied atop the AL Central that day, sporting identical 68-64 records. It appeared that the division would come down to the season’s final days.

So much for that belief. The Guardians clinched the division on Sunday while the Twins have been in free fall and have fallen five games below .500. Instead of eyeing a run through the postseason, they are behind a White Sox team that has been dead for most of the year.

Cleveland Guardians took battle right to Minnesota Twins

It was not that much of a battle throughout those three weeks. The Guardians have entered the postseason on a high note, winning 18 of their last 21 games. The Twins, meanwhile, are limping into the offseason, having posted a 6-15 record in that same time span.

The Guardians also brought the battle right to the Twins. They faced off five times in the past three weeks, with Cleveland taking four of those games. Reversing that record may not have kept the Twins as a contender for the division, but the race would not necessarily be over either.

The Guardians are also peaking at the perfect time. It is often said that how a team is playing as they head into the postseason is what truly matters. Right now, the Guardians are one of the hottest teams in the majors and could ride that momentum into a surprisingly deep run through October.

It is also possible that this is just the beginning of their reign. The Guardians are not just the youngest team in the majors, but they would be the youngest team in Triple-A as well. They may not know enough to realize that they should not be here yet. And that makes the Guardians even more dangerous.

The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins were tied for the division on September 4. The Guardians ripped the AL Central away in three weeks.